Display device



H. L. MYERS DISPLAY DEVICE May 16, 1933.

Filed March 15 1929 INVENTOR //A/?0LD L. MYERS ATTORNEYS 20 quired.

Patented May 16, 1933 HAROLD'L. MYERS, or mon-ms'rown, NEW JERSEY DISPLAY DEVICE Application filed March 13, 1929. Serial No. 346,536.'

Myinvention relates to display devices, and more particularly to advertising display devices for displaying merchandise contained in packagesor cartons, as exemplified, for instance, by the conventional packages in which safety razor blades are sold. The invention contemplates the provision of a display device of the indicated class which is simple in construction and operation and which adequately and reliably supports one or more of the packages of merchandise in attractive display positions for purposes of advertisement and sale. Another object of the invention, is to construct the display device in a manner to prevent unintentional shifting of the packages of merchandise and to permit said packages to be easily placed in display position on the display device and readily removed therefrom, as may be re- Other objects will appear from the description hereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates an example of the invention without defining its limits, Fig. 1 is a face view of the display device in the form of a card for accommodating a single package of merchandise, with a package in position thereon; Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a face view of the display device itself; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 3, and Figs. 5 and 6 are face views of two different forms of the display device.

For the purposes of illustration and description the display device is shown in its simplest form as a card for displayinga single package of merchandise, it being understood that. this is not intended to define the limits of the invention, and that said device may be made to accommodate a plurality of packages; furthermore the supporting means, instead of being in the nature of a card, may be made in any desired form suitable to the purposes in mind without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention. The latter consistsessentially of cooperating tongues normally lying in an opening with which said card or its equivalent is provided, in alignment with each other in a common plane to constitute a carrying means for the package, in combination with 00-01)- crating means whereby each package is maintained in its intended position on the display device, said means preferably comprisingfa tab normally lying in the aforesaid common plane and movable out of said plane to constitute a stop whereby said package is fixed against any appreciable shifting on the display device.

As shown in Figs. 14, the display device comprises a body 10. made of cardboard .or other suitable material to constitute a support, which is slitted along spaced lines 11 to form a main tongue 12; the slitting of 5 the body along the lines 11, in effect, provides said body with an opening normally occupied by the tongue 12. At its one end the latter remains permanently in connection with the body 10, and normally lies in the aforesaid opening in the plane of said body, said tongue, however, being capable of being bent or flexed out of. said opening and plane for the purposes to be more fully set forth hereinafter; in the illustrated example p the inherent flexibility of the material of which the body l0 and tongue 12 are made is relied upon to permit outward. flexing of said tongue 12 relatively to the body 10, no transverse score line or equivalent means being provided at the connected end of the tongue 12. With the arrangement illustrated, the tongue 12 remains an integral part of the body 10 and possesses an inherent elasticity which tends at all times to return said tongue 35 to its initial position in the plane of the body 10 and to normally maintain it therein. The body 10 is further slit transversely, for instance, along curved lines 13 which extend from the slits 11 and converge toward a point to provide the main tongue 12 with a tapered free end 14. The slits 11 and transverse slits 13 further. produce an auxiliary tongue 15 which projects toward the -main tongue 12 and at its one end also remains permanently in connection with the body 10 and normally lies in the plane thereof in conterminous alignment with the main tongue 12 or in other words in the same opening in which the main tongue 12 is normally positioned; the

auxiliary tongue 15 is also capable of being flexed out of said Opening and the plane of the body 10 at will. The free end of the auxiliary tongue 15, because of the slits 13, fits the tapered end 14 of the main tongue 12 as clearly shown in Fig. 3; in the form illustrated in the drawing the body 10 is cut out upon opposite sides of the auxiliary tongue 15, as indicated at 16 with the result that the free end of said tongue 15 includes spaced twin points 17 which project toward and lie in close proximity to the main tongue 12. As a result of this arrangement the tongues 12 and 15 normally comprise a practically continuous member lying in the plane of the body 10 and divided by the transverse slits 13 to form a package supporting means, as will appear more fully hereinafter. The length of the slits 11 and consequently the length of the main tongue 12 is preferably sufficient to enable the package of merchandise for which the display device is designed to be slidably adjusted on said main tongue 12 to a position beyond the free end of the auxiliary tongue 15 for the purpose to be more fully set forth hereinafter. At an intermediate point the main tongue 12 is slitted preferably along a curved transverse line 18 to form a tab 19, which remains in connection with the tongue 12 and normally lies in the plane thereof, but is capable of being flexed or bent out of said plane at will. The tab 19 is located at a predetermined distance from the ends a of the slits 11, the particular location of said tab 19 being dependent upon the dimensions of the package for which the display device is designed, as will appear more fully hereinafter.

The packages for which the display devices are specially designed are in the form of containers or cartons which include end flaps whereby said containers are closed at their opposite ends. As shown in Fig. 2, the closing flaps of the cartons or containers A are tucked into the body of said containers, as indicated at B. With this arrangement the bodies A of the containers are open at the opposite ends in the form of narrow slits, as represented by the space between the flaps B and the adjacent face of the body A. When it is desired to place a container A in position on the display device, the main tongue A is flexed outwardly out 0'1? the plane of the body 10 to enable the pointed end 1 1 of said tongue to be inserted into one of the aforesaid narrow slits so that said pointed end lies between the flap B and the adjacent surface of the container body A. The package as represented by the container A is then moved lengthwise of the tongue 12 in the direction of the arrow 5, this movement along the tongue 12 being continued until the right-hand end of said package engages the ends 0 of the slits 11 whereby said movement is arrested. The slits 11 and consequently the length of the main tongue 12 is so calculated that in the final right-hand position of the package A on the tongue 12, said package will lie over the tab 19, which at this stage lies in its normal position in the plane of the tongue 12. 111 this location of the package, the left-hand end of the container A is located beyond the free end of the auxiliary tongue 15, and accordingly enables the pointed or other end 17 of the latter to be inserted between the flap l3 and the adjacent surface of the body A at said lefthand end of the package. When this insertion of the auxiliary tongue 15 has been accomplished, the package is moved lengthwise of the main tongue 12 in the direction 01? the arrow (Z, so as to slidably shift the lefthand end of the container A over and upon the auxiliary tongue 15. The slits 11 and the auxiliary tongue 15 are so din'iensioned or in other words the opening in which said auxiliary tongue 15 is located with the main tongue 12, is so designed that the extent oi this movement toward the left is sul'licient to bring the right-hand end of the container A to a position adjacent to the tab 19, the left-hand end of said container at this stage being substantially in engagement with the left-hand ends a of the slits 11. The tongue 12 is then drawn in the direction of the arrow 5 to the slight extent necessary to permit the tab 19 to be engaged with the righthand end oi? the container as shown in Fig. 2 to constitute an abutment or projection,

which prevents movement of the package in the direction of the arrow Z). The latter is thus locked against any appreciable shifting in either direction on the tongues 12 and 15, which together constitute a supporting ioo means whereby the package is securely locked N upon the display device in an attractive advertising display position. lVhen it is desired to remove a package from the display device, the tongue 12 is again drawn in the direction of the arrow Z) to disengage the tab 19 from the right hand end of said package, after which said tab 19 is pressed back into the plane of the tongue 12. After the tab 19 has thus been restored to its normal position, the package is free to be shifted.

along the tongue 12 in the direction of the arrow Z) for a distance suliicieut to enable the auxiliary tongue 1.5 to be disconnected from the container so that the package subsequent ly may be easily withdrawn from the ton gue 12 by a movement in the direction of the arrow (Z.

The form of the display device shown in Fig. 5 may be the same as that shown in Figs.

14, with the exception that the main tongue.

12, which corresponds to the main tongue 12, instead of having its free end tapered to a point as in the first form of the device, is rounded, as indicated at 14. The length of the tongue 12 is also slightly less than that ol? the tongue 12, so that the free end 14 lies at a distance from the pointed ends 17 of the auxiliary tongue 15.

In the form shown in Fig. 6, the main tongue 12 is the same in form and arrangement as the correspondingly indicated main tongue of Fig. 5. The difference in the form now being described resides in the auxiliary tongue 15 which instead of. being formed with twin points 17, is provided with a curved or otherwise tapering free end 17. The arrangement is such that the free ends 14 and 17 of the tongues 12 and 15 respectively, are spaced apart as shown in Fig. 6.

The construction and'operation of the two last forms, and the method of placing the package in position thereon and removing it therefrom, is the same as in the form first described. The main tongues 12 are however somewhat reduced, in length so that, while said tongues 12 and auxiliary tongues 15 and 15 of Figs. 5 and 6 respectively normally lie within a given opening provided in the body 10, and project toward each other as in the form shown in Fig. 3, the opposed ends of the co-operating main and auxiliary tongues are spaced from each other in the opening in which they are located. By somewhat reducing the length of the main tongue 12*, the possibility that the free end of this tongue may engage the tab B at the left-hand end of the container and thus push the same out of place when the package is moved to its extreme ri ght-han d position on said tongue 12, is positively avoided.

The display device is particularly adapted for displaying and supporting packages of the type in which safety razor blades are conventionally containedfor sale in predetermined quantities, it being obvious that the device may be used with equal advantage for supporting packages of other merchandise or any packages which are so arranged as to enable the main and auxiliary tongues to be inserted into the same at opposite ends, or in opposite directions, in the manner set forth above. It will be obvious that the shape and arrangement of the free ends of the tongues 12 or 12, and 15 or 15 may be changed in many different ways without in any way interfering with the efficiency of the device or departing from the spirit of the invention. In display devices of the indicated character, it is essential that the packages be supported upon the display device in a manner to prevent appreciable and unintentional shifting of said packages on the device. This is necessary in order to prevent injury to the display device, because of constant unintentional shifting of the packages thereon, and also to positively maintain said packages in predetermined relation to the advertising matter or designs which may appear on the devices, and to maintain a plurality of packages on a given display device in predetermined display relation to each other. The device may be produced at relatively low cost, andin all of its forms provides a readily accessible supply of given merchandise which, prior to sale,

is displayed in an attractive manner-to prospective purchasers. The mountin'gof the packages on the card or other display device, and the removal of said packages, may be accomplished with a minimum of labor and effort and without requiring any particular 7 skill on the part of the operator. 1

Various changes in the specific forms shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. y

Iclaim: 7 1. A display device comprising a support, apair of opposed tongues carried by said support and adapted to be inserted into a package in opposite directions for mounting said package on said support, and means on one of said tongues to constitute a transverse stop whereby movement of said packagelengthwise of said tongues is prevented.

2. A display device comprising a support a pair of opposed tongues carried by said '90 support and adapted to be inserted into a package in opposite directions for mounting said package on said support, said tongues together having a length greater than the length of said package, and means carried by one of said tongues and foldable on a line extending transversely of said tongue to engage said package and fix it against movement lengthwise of said tongues.

3. A display device comprising a support, a main tongue forming an integral part of said support and having its one end connected therewith, an auxiliary tongue forming an integral part of said support and having its one end connected therewith, said. tongues normally lyingin the plane of said support in opposed alignment with each other and being adapted to be inserted into a package in opposite directions, said main tongue being of a length to permit said package to be slidably adjusted thereon to a position beyond the free end of said auxiliary tongue, and normally inoperative means carried by said main tongue and adjustable relatively thereto to form a projection extending trans- V3115 versely of said tongue for fixing said package against relative shifting on said tongues.

1. A display device comprising a body slit along spaced lines to form a main tongue and an auxiliary tongue, said tongues having their free ends in opposed relation to each other, the main tongue being of greater length than the auxiliary tongue and both tongues being arranged to be inserted into the opposite ends of a package of merchandisef and a tab formed in said main tongue by slitting it and normally lying in the plane thereof, said tab being capable of being flexed out of the plane of said main tongue on a line extending transversely thereof to form a' projection and being so located that when said projection engages one end of said package the opposite ends thereof will be in engagement with the one end of each of said slits whereby said package will be fixed against movement lengthwise of said tongues.

5. A display device comprising a body having an opening formed therein, a main tongue carried by said body and having a curved free end, and an auxiliary tongue carried by said body and having a twin pointed free end, said tongues normally both lying in said opening with the curved free end of the main tongue and the twin pointed free end of the auxiliary tongue projecting toward and located in spaced open relation to each other in said opening.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HAROLD L. MYERS. 

